BLEACH
by Nike Athena
Summary: These are my Bleach drabbles, which consist of ideas half formed in my head which are promptly spewed out onto my computer. They consist of so far the Shinigami in Soul Society. As of yet, I can't give any warnings except Expect Spoilers by Default. Enjoy
1. A Big Brother's Duty

Hello, everyone! This is my first time publishing my Bleach stuff. I've read mostly everything, so expect spoilers by proxy. So if you haven't read up to chapter 200 or watched up to episode 70 (or so), you have been warned.

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** Because I could SO see Byakuya as the protective older brother sometimes. And not outwardly show it. Aheh. Anyway… I am so lame. Teh LAMERS! But I don't own Bleach, which is probably a mercy, because then it wouldn't really be Bleach at all...

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Her Nii-sama didn't intervene much in her daily life. Or at least not directly to her face. But looking back, now that she knew everything, she surmised the times he intervened directly were the times he must have been very irate, indeed. She didn't mind much, it served as a reminder to her that her Nii-sama actually cared for her very much, but sometimes it was a little scary. 

Being around other men was difficult like this. Rukia remembered she had been doing something mundane (she believed she had been buying a new writing set because the bristles on her brushes were wearing out) when a group of five male shinigami, from various Divisions, had approached her. They had started asking utterly absurd, and inane, questions, like "How's work been?" and "What d'you think of the weather?". To top it off, they had begun posturing, and one of them had started to say "Y'know, I come from a pretty famous family myself--." When a startling burst of menacing reiatsu had come rolling off from someone. Thinking someone had gone on a psychotic rampage, like Captain Zaraki, Rukia was nervously looking around, when the source of the reiatsu had moved very close in a disturbingly short amount of time.

"What exactly do you peons think you are doing." It was a statement, not a question. Rukia's heart dropped into her stomach as she recognized the voice, as distorted by reiatsu as it was. Kuchiki Byakuya was standing behind the five men, a deadly look on his cool face. Thinking about the multitude of ways her Nii-sama could kill people without even drawing his sword, Rukia pulled her head out of her ass (as Renji would say) and quickly intervened.

"Byakuya-nii-sama!" She breathed, her voice unsteady. "They were asking about work, just work." Byakuya spared her a fluttering glance.

"You gentlemen come with me." Imperiously, Byakuya turned and started walking, and, shockingly, the men followed.

The deadly wave of reiatsu moved on, diminishing slightly, and still making people pass out.

Then, suddenly she got it and groaned inwardly and quietly knuckled her head with her fist. At this pace, she was _never_ going to have a normal working relationship with anyone _ever_. But she allowed herself a small smile and went back to examining the brush sets, in an almost inexplicably good mood. Because, she supposed, after all, big brothers would always be big brothers.


	2. A Shinigami's Guide: 11th Division

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** Because I think everyone deserves a fair warning… And the 11th Division is a bunch of blood-hungry mongrels. I luv 'em! And the lameness continues…

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**A Shinigami's Guide: How to Cope with the 11th Division**

As you might have noticed, as an initiate of the proud establishment of Gotei 13, there are specialties in all divisions. As time has passed, these differences became more and more pronounced, and the result is the Gotei 13 you see today. As an example, the 2nd Division has always also been headed by the Secret Mobile Corps; the 12th Division has always been in conjunction with the Research/Scientific Institute; the 4th Division has always been the Healing and Relief Squad. And, as the subject of today's article, the 11th Division has always been the Battle Specialist squad.

This title, though, is not as official as the previously mentioned, highly regarded institutes. The 11th Division happens to be inhabited by some of the most violent, homicidal, and dangerous Shinigami in Seireitei; it began as a highly regarded squad, like the others, and is now being inhabited with… well, what you see today. The 11th Division has a history of being abrasive to its fellow Divisions (the 4th Division foremost), and are generally rude, bloodthirsty, and hopeless. Therefore, without any further ado, I shall give you some strategies on how to live with these "lively" fellows.

**1. **As you may notice as time wears on, the 11th Division has a rather interesting approach to their duties. The Captain will be often caught napping, relaxing, or reclining in midday, much like the 8th Division Captain. The latter can be prompted to remain awake and sober long enough to get his job done with no major repercussions to you or your body. The former, however, will kill anyone with the audacity to bother him. You have been warned.

**2.** The Vice-Captain will often be napping, eating enough sugary items to put her into a diabetic coma, torturing fellow Shinigami, or generally not doing her job. If you find her doing any of the aforementioned activities, do not, under any circumstances, bother her. Inform your Captain or Vice-Captain. Do not try to intervene, yourself.

**3.** The 11th Division paperwork is done by the 3rd and 5th seats. Don't ask why. I think it should be obvious. He also hands in all the reports made by the 11th Division, even if it is a Captain's duty to make and send reports themselves. As this may cause a headache, please keep in mind that it's probably a mercy that Captain Zaraki won't write his own reports, or the Vice-Captain Kusajishi.

**4. **If the 11th Division is being loud, just ignore them. Whatever's gotten them excited, they'll get over it soon. If the noise persists for half-an-hour or more, they've probably found something illegal to entertain themselves. Do not, under any circumstances, try to ask them to be quiet yourself. Inform your Captain or Vice-Captain, and if they feel it is a problem, they will go quiet the 11th Division themselves. Seriously, I'm not fucking around.

**5. **The 11th Division is made up of an assortment of thugs, sadists and people of comparable temperaments and nature. So don't ever tell them exactly what you think of their hairstyles, their speech or their Division, unless you're looking for a fight and you're sure you can win. The same goes for someone you see them picking on; if you have a really high moral standard, go on ahead and stand up. Otherwise, shut the fuck up.

For now, I will leave you with these (hopefully) helpful strategies. Look forward to the next installment of **A Shinigami's Guide**!


	3. Wind of the Seven Crows

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** Urm… I wrote it a while ago, when I first started watching/reading Bleach. I was stricken with Kenpachi's relationship with Yachiru. A twisted father/daughter thing, except they're probably more precious to each other than that. Hmmm- I feel another idea coming on. Anyway, Daddy Kenpachi.

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**Wind of the Seven Crows**

Sometimes it happened when she least expected it; she would be asleep for an hour and the dream would come. Sometimes it was like trying to listen to a voice while you were underwater- all you could hear was muffled sounds, strung together like wailing, and the sound of your blood pounding in your ears. Sometimes, she could smell something, something sort of flowery, and hear the song- she remembered its name because it was her favorite song in the whole world, even today. It was called "The Wind of Seven Crows", and she particularly loved it when she got Ken-chan to sing it to her.

But when the woman in her dreams sang it, it was sad and creepy because the dream always ended with the woman screaming. So on those nights that she dreamed of the woman, much like this night, Yachiru got up from her bed and padded down the hallway to Zaraki Kenpachi's room. So Yachiru crawled under the blankets, pulling one of Kenpachi's lean, wiry arms over her and snuggled up closely into his chest. He murmured something unintelligible, then, "Yachiru? What is it, brat?" But he got no response. Kenpachi lifted a hand to his face yawning, and then dropped it back over Yachiru, his eyes drifting shut. Small, barely audible sounds that blended into the night awoke him once more; his eyes snapped open and he levered himself up onto an elbow, picking up his tiny bedmate and looking at her. "What is it, Yachiru, why are you crying?"

For Kusajishi Yachiru, was indeed crying, which was a rare event for either Shinigami; even when she was a baby she had been perky and upbeat, save for roughly five or six times that she had woken whimpering and crying. Now, she held her tiny white fists to her eyes and cried without knowing why. "Ken-chan, sing me a lullaby." She hiccupped, starting to hyperventilate. Alarmed, not knowing what to do, Kenpachi scooped the girl onto his lap again, rubbing her back, scouring his mind for a song one did not sing while drinking or killing people. A few notes of the refrain of a song rose, as though they were carried by the wind. Something he had often sung for Yachiru when she was younger.

"A league along, a hundred strong.

Then all at once, it blows away.

Wind of Seven Crows

Flies into the bay."

His voice was raw, and sounded painful to sing with, but it seemed to be a world of good for Yachiru; her frantic hiccups started to subside and she relaxed in his arms. Kenpachi himself was relieved that being in an exhaustive state actually seemed to help his brain remember things. As it was, he managed to get through the whole song, and then sing the first stanza as a sort of apology for skipping it earlier. The tiny girl was now breathing quietly in his arms. Kenpachi sighed and reclined, but gently, back on the futon. For a while he remained awake, trying to come up with a comprehensible reason for Yachiru to cry. Eventually, he put it down to her old bad dreams and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't too long before a song wove itself into his dream, sung by the one of the only people Kenpachi had cared about.


	4. Making Good Relations

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** Gin 'n Izuru crack OMG!!! No, not really. But don't you ever wonder why, exactly Gin keeps his eyes squinted shut all the time? And not just because he's smiling so widely he could split his head in two.

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**Making Good Relations**

At first, it might seem ridiculous, he had never really _realized_ Captain Ichimaru Gin kept his eyes squinted shut. Everything about his Captain was like looking into some celestial body; then, after the initial glow had worn off, he had begun to notice certain things about his commander. Like, for one, he was bone thin; achingly thin, and not because he was watching his weight. He always seemed to be tucking his arms into his body, like he was trying to ward off a chill. And his trademark grin, the likes of which Vice-Captain Izuru Kira had never seen; it was the same whether he was filling out paperwork for new plumbing in the 3rd Division Squad lodge, or grinding a few fellow Shinigami into dust with his spiritual pressure.

Aside from Captain Ichimaru's unsettling grin, however, there was one other thing about his Captain's normal expression that mystified Kira. His Captain never kept his eyes open; they were squinted so tightly that Kira sometimes wondered how exactly Gin saw properly. It made him want to reach out and touch the side of his Captain's face, for even now, he hadn't yet gotten a proper glance at the older man's eyes.

But _why_ he kept them squinted was what really baffled Kira; even if he wasn't smiling (about 10 out of 100 percent of Ichimaru's facial expressions), his eyes were in the habitual squint.

To top it off, other Shinigami had noticed too (though how you wouldn't or couldn't made Kira wonder). On a May afternoon, Abarai Renji had posed him the question while the two were hanging over a polished wood bar counter. Kira had confessed his ignorance, giving Renji cause to scoff. "He's gonna be yer Cap'n, right, man? You better get to know him or you'll be working with a total stranger forever." And though Izuru didn't know why, the question bugged him for two whole weeks before he said anything to his Captain.

The day was hot, almost unbearably so, and the sun was shining bright enough to fry a hole in the earth. Kira was sweating and blushing when he finally asked, eyes downcast and miserable. "C-captain. May I ask you… a personal question?" Gin, who had been sipping on a bamboo can full of water, averted his attention immediately to his subordinate.

"Na, Izuru-chan, why d'ya soun' so hesitant? Y'r gonna be my Vice-Cap'n, righ'? So no secrets." And he'd favoured the youth with one of his dazzling smiles that always made Izuru's heart beat a little faster. Just a little thrown off by his Captain's openness, Kira continued.

"Captain… your eyes… I've never seen them before and, well… I was wondering…" His voice trailed off as Gin's smile dissipated, but was replaced with a thoughtful look.

"Wonderin' why I never got 'em op'n? Tha's 'n easy one, Izuru." He opened his eyes, for perhaps the first and last time Kira would see them open for so long, and explained in a very detached, clinical way how he had been born with no pigment in his eyes, making them red, and thus they were very sensitive. Then he explained that his eyes were watering (for now, indeed, they were streaming with tears) to blur his vision and try to protect him. Then he wiped his eyes, plastered a grin back onto his face and stood, handing the water bottle down to Kira.

"Now that 'together time' is over, we gotta get back ta work. Lessgo, Izuru." And he turned and walked into the 3rd Division Squad Lodge, without a glance back at his Vice-Captain.

Torn between being disarmed by his Captain's frankness and unnerved by his Captain's detachment, Izuru could only follow. After a few seconds of silence, Ichimaru's voice floated back to him.

"Nex' time, Izuru, I wanna know some stuff 'bout _you_." Ichimaru was waiting for Kira at the office, a hand gesturing for the youth to enter before him. Still wearing the same smile, with his eyes squinted shut.


	5. Namesake

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** And so the stupidity continues. I really hope this isn't too vague. Or something… o.O

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**Namesake**

She wasn't disturbed by her lack of a name. No, it wasn't like she didn't have a name, but she was just biding her time. Waiting for when her weilder realized she'd had one all this time.

So when he said something like "My Soul Cutter ain't gotta name. My Soul Cutter is bare-ass naked." She only smiled to herself and clasped her hands about her knees, and sometimes roll her eyes. _No, silly._ She would say, though he was presently doing his damndest ignoring her. _I've got a name. You'll realize it some day. You'll realize you've known it all along. I won't even bother telling you._

And that's why she smiled extra-wide when Yachiru was around. And whenever he called her name, the spirit laughed. That was why when he had lost against the child with the dark sword, and she had been broken in half, when he begged her to tell him her name, she remained silent. Because her name was sitting right next to him, encouraging him and resolutely saying he hadn't lost the fight. It was just a matter of time before he realized.


	6. AntiParallels

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** Thinking about it, just like their sons, Isshin and Ryuuken are anti-parallels. Which only makes sense… Maybe some minor spoilers? Present tense is SO HARD to write in! Also, I'm very sorry that this update is so late! I just hope I haven't lost readers withmy procrastination... Come back, please!

**Rating:** G bordering on PG-13. 'Cause Isshin has a potty mouth.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, of course…

**Anti-Parallel**

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_Kurosaki Isshin_

The young woman shivers and clutches the hospital blanket around her; it definitely smells like a hospital, which meant it had been recently sterilized. The rain outside has yet to let up, and she watches it gloomily. She definitely didn't ask for this.

The door opens abruptly, startling her, and Dr. Kurosaki walks in, a big grin on his face. "How're ya doing?" He asks in a loud, cheerful voice. He strides across the room, and her mind is immediately set at ease, just seeing him walk; it's a stride, long and ground-eating. He holds his head and chest up when he walks, and his arms hanging at his sides swing slightly; his hands, surprisingly tough and bony-looking, are clenched slightly, even though one's holding a clipboard.

He takes a seat in the wheeling chair, and once again she's struck at how charismatic he is, and though she realizes how gross it is to have a crush on her doctor, she can't help it. She thinks Kurosaki Isshin is someone everyone falls a little bit in love with.

He sits with his legs spraddled apart, and rests one hand on his knee while he takes another glance at his clipboard, eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide. Before she can start to feel her heart drop, he looks back at her and smiles widely.

"You're A-OK, sweetheart!" And though she might have taken the endearing moniker offensively any other time with any other doctor, she feels her heart warm and she can't resist smiling back.

"R-really?" She asks breathlessly, and not just because she's relived at the results.

"Mm-hmm." He responds, and then abandons his chair to sit beside her and show her the chart. "See here? That was just a normal fluctuation in your body. Remember that you're living in a very stressful environment right now. And the arrhythmia was just a fluke- everyone gets them now and again, and it's more prominent in those living stressful lives. Okay? So just try to relax a little more. Your body will thank you. And if you have any problem with your boss, just tell him to talk to me. I'll fuck 'im up!" And then he laughs a huge, booming laugh, and even though he's just promised to do bodily harm to her boss, she can't help but laugh too.

And heading out to her car, after being handed her umbrella by one of Isshin's adorable daughters (this one is Yuzu, she remembers- the one with shockingly light hair and a sunny disposition), she is still glowing in the warmth of being with Isshin. Because even though she knows Isshin is this way to every man, woman, child (and animals and inanimate objects), she still feels as though it's directed only to her.

_Ishida Ryuuken_

The young man shivers and coughs weakly into his hand, bleakly watching the rain sliding down the wide glass panes. Even though the florescent lights are on as bright as they can get, it looks dark in the room. Perhaps it's the emptiness, the Spartan-ness, of the space, which only consists of two beds and a desk that looks more like a table with a small stool hunkering next to its chest of drawers. But before the young man could drop too far into despondency, the door is knocked softly upon and opens.

Dr. Ishida walks in, looking at his patient's folder; seeing him, the young mans heart flutters anticipatorily. Even though the news won't be fatal, the quiet, still air about the man makes the youth believe horrible things are yet to come.

But then Ishida Ryuuken sits after pulling out the small stool and frowns at his folder a little more. He sits with his legs crossed loosely, leaning sideways to look at the papers, and even though he's quite slender, he's more imposing than, perhaps, he should be. Then, abandoning the report, he turns to face the young man on the bed with his hands clasped upon his knees. Ishida gazes into the patients eyes for a few more seconds, then,

"You're perfectly fine. The "anomalies" you are speaking of are perfectly within a range of human reactions. In the future, I suggest you stay away from shell-fish. You are allergic. And acquire an Epinephrine pen. As it is, I have no supply stock at the moment, but-." He leans back over and starts writing out a prescription. "Here. Go visit the Karakura Town Clinic. I'll tell him I sent you. He'll give you one." Ishida rises in one fluid motion, goes to the door and holds it open for the young man to go through. The youth, almost flabbergasted, can only follow. He feels as though he should be more put off, but all he can say in the face of Ishida Ryuuken is,

"Thank you for your time, Doctor." It feels, absurdly, like his time was an imposition on Ishida Ryuuken's. But the man still treats him in a civil manner; he leads the younger man to the door and hands him his umbrella. It was finally then that the little bit of human warmth the young man had been waiting for finally shone through; just as he was exiting, Ryuuken carefully guided him out, placing a long, slim hand on the young man's back.

"Be careful." Ryuuken says, before ushering the young man out and closing the door softly behind him.


	7. Stop and Smell the Roses

**Author's Notes and Miscellany:** First I would like to apologize to everyone who has been waiting for me to update and was sorely dissappointed. My computer's internet died, the my computer died, and then I was borrowing a friend's laptop and I couldn't do much on it. But now I have my own computer (it's very sexy!), and I'll try to write more. This fic is supposed to be ShunsuixNanao, but I think I FAILED at it. Even though Shunsui flirts with his Vice-Captain, he also seems to treat her something like a daughter. o.O. Yeah...

Next story will be about Kira and Gin, I SWEAR!

**Disclaimer:**And I still don't own BLEACH.

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"Nanao-chan." The young woman possibly doesn't hear him, as she takes another sip of tea, sets down the cup carefully and goes back to her paperwork. Or she's just ignoring him. The two of them, Captain Kyoraku Shunseui and his Vice-Captain Ise Nanao, had been working on this paperwork for sixteen hours straight. He, admittedly, hadn't noticed until a few seconds ago when his vision abruptly blurred and his brush had dropped from his hand, and he realized he'd had not slept, eaten or drunk anything in the last twenty-four hours.

"Nanao-chan." He persists, and doesn't add the drawl to his voice that will only make her redouble her efforts in ignoring him. Shunsui had heard once that women had some sort of built in mechanism that allowed them to tune out babies' crying if it wasn't serious; Shunsui thought this might be one of those cases.

But his beautiful Vice-Captain needed rest, food and drink, even if she didn't think so herself; green tea was nice for ocha. Drinking only that for the whole day couldn't be healthy.

So Shunsui did something he would never do under ordinary circumstances, because he knew it deeply frightened his Vice-Captain, who would still try to play it cool like it didn't. He reached forward one long, calloused hand, past the desk and paperwork, letting his fingers rasp against the warm, pliant skin on her throat, before finally letting his hand rest on the crook of her neck and shoulder, and gently squeezing. At the same time, he deepened his voice, something he only did when he was concerned, or regretful, or unhappy, or some strong negative emotion.

"Nanao-chan." She looked up immediately, staring at him with wide eyes and on instant alert.

"What's the matter, Kyoraku-Taichou?" The young woman asked, her breath sounding forced and scared. But that was okay, because it would be gone in an instant after she learned nothing was wrong, and then she'd scowl at him; but that was okay, too, because he'd distracted his little Vice-Captain from working herself to death.

He leaned forward and did something he'd never do under ordinary circumstances. Not only because Nanao was upset as him when he would even _think_ about doing it, but because he would only reserve such displays of deep affection for when they were truly needed. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the girl's soft cheek, next to her mouth, and kept them there for a few seconds until he could feel Nanao's face flush and her delicate frame stiffen. He withdrew, then, and gave her a little smile, and he could tell that the only reason she didn't whollop him across the face like she usually did was because the smile conveyed his feelings; it was and old smile, a sad smile, and it probably made Nanao a little sad to see her captain look so.

"Nanao-chan, don't overdo it. Sometimes stopping to smell the roses is good too." Was all he said, because his Vice-Captain was young and she wouldn't completely understand, but at least she'd get it half-way.

Shunsui rose to his feet laboriously, cracking his joints and stretching, before offering a hand to Nanao. "Let's go get something to eat, Nanao-chan." A bit of the flush was still there, across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, but she grasped his hand nevertheless and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "After all," continued Kyoraku as he pulled Nanao to his chest in an overenthusiastic embrace, "my Nanao-chan shouldn't be allowed to hide her beauty in dark, dank places! For no one to see, ever!" He felt her breath against his chest as she sighed against the bare flesh. The fact that she didn't beat the shit out of him _then_ meant she was exhausted; trying to fight against the sexual harrassment Shunsui provided would be useless, as he'd do it later, anyway.

"Where do you want to go?" She finally asked, and did not struggle against his embrace.


End file.
